Second major newspaper mocks deadly Texas explosion

In a follow up to a story published last week about Texas Gov. Rick Perry demanding an apology from a California newspaper for an inappropriate political cartoon, another major newspaper has followed suit.

The Sacramento Bee ran a cartoon linking his push for less regulations to the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas that killed 14.

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a similar cartoon showing a smoldering crater with a sign that reads, “Fertilizer Plant,” and Perry saying, “I love the smell of deregulation in the morning!”

Even though the Sacramento Bee ran its cartoon on the same day President Obama joined the governor and others at a memorial for the victims, it never saw fit to issue an apology. In fact, the newspaper stood by its decision.

It’s reasonable to think that had the plant explosion occurred in a liberal state led by a Democratic governor, newspapers would have been more deferential. But scoring political points against a Republican trumps any such discretion, right?